A sixth minister has resigned from the Lebanese government, which was plunged into a political crisis when all five Shia cabinet members quit. Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf, a Christian, is an ally of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud like his Shia colleagues from Hezbollah and Amal. They resigned after calls for a greater role in government were rejected. But a cabinet meeting to consider a UN plan to try killers of former PM Rafik Hariri went ahead despite the ructions. "I don't see myself belonging to any constitutional authority in which an entire sect is absent," Mr Sarraf said in his letter of resignation, according to Lebanon's National News Agency. Mr Lahoud said on Sunday that as a result of the resignations, the government had lost its legitimacy - but constitutional experts have disputed his interpretation of the situation.... http://news.bbc.co.uk

While other parts of Iraq remain mired in unrest, the northern region known as Kurdistan is touting itself as an oasis and aggressively courting businesses and tourists.The push for development includes a Western-style advertising strategy with ads on cable TV, in radio and magazines, and a new investment law approved by the region's National Assembly to attract money from foreign investors. The region's economy already is one of the strongest in the Middle East. ...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14689169/

The editor and two reporters from one of Denmark's main newspapers have gone on trial charged with publishing secret intelligence about Iraqi weapons. In articles published in 2004 they quoted from analysis by a Danish intelligence agent, Frank Grevil. His report, written before the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, concluded that there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. The Berlingske Tidende journalists could go to jail if found guilty. It is being viewed as a landmark case in Denmark, which is usually an ardent defender of freedom of expression. An offence of publishing confidential Danish government documents is punishable by fines or up to two years in prison. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6143794.stm

There has been a four-fold rise this year in the number of people killed in the conflict in Afghanistan, according to a report on the insurgency. It suggests that more than 3,700 people have died so far this year - about 1,000 of them civilians. The report came as Afghan officials said Nato and Afghan troops had killed about 60 Taleban fighters. Meanwhile a visiting UN delegation said Afghan leaders face huge challenges five years after the Taleban fell. The study on the situation in Afghanistan was compiled by the Joint Co-ordinating and Monitoring Board - made up of the Afghan government, its key foreign backers and the UN. It says more than 3,700 people had been killed since January this year and that the frequency of insurgent or terrorist-related security incidents had now risen four-fold to 600 a month. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6141762.stm

Thousands of people have marched in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, in protest at the killing of a leading pro-Tamil Tiger politician. Security was tight as crowds paraded the coffin of Nadarajah Raviraj through the city, demanding an end to killings. Mr Raviraj died after being shot in Colombo on Friday. His funeral is to take place in Jaffna on Wednesday. Some 3,000 people - civilians, soldiers and rebels - have been killed in Sri Lanka this year, the government says. The BBC's Priyath Liyanage says Mr Raviraj's death is a setback for moderates in Sri Lanka. The country has seen worsening violence since late last year as a threadbare truce between troops and rebels has unravelled. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6143432.stm

Scores of homeless children and others living on the streets of Congo's capital have been rounded up, accused of starting a protest that led to weekend violence as an increasingly tense nation awaits presidential election results.Advocates for street children said those arrested were scapegoats, but Interior Minister Denis Kalume was quoted on state radio Monday as saying the 337 homeless people, including 87 minors and 15 women with children had "provoked this (violence) by disturbing the peace." Kalume said they were being taken outside the capital for "social training."Exchanges of gun and mortar fire had erupted Saturday between supporters of President Joseph Kabila and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, the two contenders in a presidential runoff held late last month. The violence in front of the residence and a television station of Bemba, a former rebel leader, killed three civilians caught in the crossfire and a soldier, the governor of the Congolese capital said....http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-11-13-congo_x.htm?csp=34